


You Are My Sunshine (Please Don't Take My Sunshine Away)

by cyberrsoot



Series: Based On True Events and Historical Tragedies [2]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Blood and Violence, Character Death, Clay | Dream is Bad at Feelings (Video Blogging RPF), Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, Five Stages of Grief, Fluff and Angst, Gay Male Character, Graphic Description, Grief/Mourning, I suck at writing romance, I'm Bad At Tagging, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Near Death Experiences, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Sad, Sad Ending, Sad Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Tags May Change, Vietnam, Vietnam War, Violence, War, happy ending not found, im finally writing a dreamnap au, im so bad at writing dnf, no beta we die like men, oh also AGAIN, that i decided to change this to dreamnap
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:27:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29150439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyberrsoot/pseuds/cyberrsoot
Summary: When Dream finds himself falling for his fellow soldier during the Vietnam war, he has to decide whether he will give up, or fight until the bitter end.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: Based On True Events and Historical Tragedies [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2119611
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1 [You Make Me Happy When Skies Are Gray]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _You are my sunshine_   
>  _My only sunshine_   
>  _You make me happy_   
>  _When skies are gray_   
>  _You'll never know dear_   
>  _How much I love you_   
>  _Please don't take my sunshine away_

_He shivered._

The icy air of the morning rain chilled him to the bone as the young man sat outside without a coat. On a slightly damp wooden bench, beside a few other men with similar looks to himself, he bounced his leg anxiously. He wore light brown pants, as well as a wrinkled white button-up shirt and brown suspenders, the exact same outfit as the rest of the group. His dark brown shoes clicked quietly against the stone ground as he bounced his leg, anxious for the events that were to come. Anxious for the people he would meet. But mostly anxious for the tears that would be shed. Not from him, but from his family. He took in the familiar sights in front of him one last time.

He looked over the wooden arches ahead of him that held up the roof they sat under, with small graffiti'd names that were etched or written in the wood. Some were of those who had found love, and wanted to tell the world. Some were from children who wanted the thrill of momentarily breaking an insignificant rule. Some were random doodles, which he was too far away to be able to make out the shapes of. They were etched into the wood with such precision, and he wondered if his name was still visible, through all the wind and rain the small train station had endured. When he was but a young child, only nine years of age, he and a few friends from school had run to the station and written their names in pencil. But only pencil, for they were too worried they would get in trouble if they used anything more permanent.

The trees on the other side of the train tracks swayed slowly in the wind, and leaves were strewn around arbitrarily, signifying the beginning of autumn. The sky was gray, as the melodic sound of rain pattered against the wooden roof of the train station. Nothing could help the gloomy feeling that settled on his chest as he waited.

Hushed chatter could be heard throughout the station from the young men who were preparing themselves for duty. When the first of the families started arriving, it had automatically made everything much louder. The cries of the men's mothers and, for some, their wives, the worried looks of their brothers, the objections of their sisters, all contributed to the noise. As more families arrived, he waited anxiously for his to show. He watched the entrance to the train station as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. The mothers cried for their sons, and the fathers kept a stoic expression, but he knew that was to prevent the tears that were bound to fall once they got back home. 

His expression immediately lit up as he saw the familiar faces of his mother and father walking through the entrance, as well as his six month old sister which was carried by his father. His father closed the black umbrella that he had been holding, and as soon as his mother laid eyes on her son, she cupped her hand over her mouth and choked back a sob. He grabbed his luggage and stood up, walking as fast as he could while maneuvering around the men and their families. His mother ran to him, and as soon as she reached him she wrapped him into a tight embrace. He held his mother back as she sobbed gently running his hand up and down her back in an attempt to comfort her. She held onto her son so tight, for if she held on tight enough, perhaps he would be unable to leave. He looked to his father, who gave him a small smile. "My son," He said, his hazel eyes wearing a sad expression, "I am so proud of you."

He smiled sadly as his mother stepped away from his embrace and was handed his baby sister, sniffling and wiping her cheeks as his father gave him a short, warm hug. His father pat his back. "You're doing your country a great service."

"Thank you, father," He replied with a small nod. His sister, as if she knew what was going on, started to cry.

"Oh dear, don't cry, Hayley," He approached his mother and held his arms out, being met with his mother handing him his sister. He smiled softly as he gently rocked the crying child. She had the same dirty blonde hair as his mother, yet the same hazel eyes as his father. Small glistening tears ran down her cheeks, which he carefully wiped away with the pad of his thumb. Her cheeks were the softest things he had ever felt. The child's wails slowly ceased as he slowly rocked her in his arms.

He gave his sister a small, final, chaste kiss on her forehead before he handed her back to his father. The noise in the train station was peaking as he heard the horn of the train that was rapidly approaching. He winced slightly at the sudden loud sound as dread filled his mother's gaze.

"My dearest son, please stay safe. I can't lose you," She pleaded, approaching him and cupping his cheeks with her hands that were wrinkled slightly from age. He placed his hands over his mother's in a reassuring gesture, smiling gently.

"I will stay as safe as I can, I promise you," He replied. His eyes began to water as his mother gave him a final hug, and he quickly removed his hands from around his mother to wipe them away. He couldn't let himself cry. If he cried, his mother would cry more and that wouldn't be good. He needed to be strong, for his mother, his father, and himself. As he held his mother's frail body, a young man across the station by himself caught his eye. He had short black hair and a bit of scruff on his chin, and around his wrist he wore a small, white bracelet that he mindlessly fidgeted with.

He sat on one of the many benches that lined the wall with a sad look in his eyes as he watched the families wish their sons goodbye. There was a lonely glint in his dark brown eyes.

_"Attention soldiers, please make your way to the train for transport. Again, soldiers, please make your way to the train for transport."_

He heard the call of one of the generals that would accompany them to boot camp. "I have to go," He told his mother softly, almost silent as he looked down at her. The young men around him were now breaking away from their families, saying their final goodbyes and getting in a line to the train, each man holding a single suitcase of essentials that they would need once they got to boot camp. The young man that caught his eye earlier was first in line, since he did not partake in any goodbyes.

His mother let out a soft breath and stepped away, giving a small nod as she attempted to compose herself. Her blue eyes were reddened, and she sniffled as she went to stand beside his father again. His father was silently watching the interaction, rocking Hayley as she somehow slept through the commotion that was the train station. "Promise me you'll write to us?" She said, almost desperately. 

"I promise, mom, not a day will go by that I do not write," He promised.

"I love you so much, my precious son."

"I love you too, mother."

_"Attention soldiers, this is your last call to make your way to the train for transport. Again, this is your last call to make your way to the train for transport."_

"I have to go," He repeated to his mother. She closed her eyes and nodded as she finally accepted reality. 

"Go, my son. I am so proud of you," She gave him a genuine smile, but he knew beneath that smile were layers of sadness and worry for him. He took in a deep breath, and with a smile, he waved goodbye to his parents and baby sister. Picking up the slightly heavy brown luggage that had been resting on the ground, he went to meet his fellow soldiers in the line that was slowly getting longer as they boarded the train.

The train was now halfway full as he made his way on. The dark blue seats lined the interior of the train, and there were nine cars on it. The first car was already full, he noticed, so he followed the other men down the train for an available seat. The train smelled of thick pine and burning wood, which made it slightly hard to breathe but he didn't mind too much. Finally, he found an open spot in the third car, across from a man who looked to be no older than 19. Since none of the men ahead of him took the spot, he politely smiled and waved to the person sitting across from the open spot as he sat down.

"Oh, hello! Are you going to be sitting there for the ride?" The man asked with a tilted head. His voice was much higher pitched than he had expected, which surprised him. He had brown hair, with large, round glasses and green-blue eyes. His smile was warm and welcoming.

"Yes, is that alright with you?" He had already sad down and placed his luggage on the floor beside him. He scooted so that he sat closest to the window, so he could wave his family goodbye as he left. He was glad he decided to sit on the right side, because if he hadn't, he would have just been waving to some grass and trees.

"Of course! My name is Bad, what's your name?" He opened his mouth to answer Bad as the train began to move with a honk of the horn. Answer forgotten, he turned his head to the window, which had small raindrops splattered across the glass. He spotted his family waving goodbye to him with sad smiles, and he smiled back. His mother made a small heart with her hands and he grinned, returning the gesture with the same heart. He could hear cheers from the families as the soon-to-be soldiers slowly were driven away. He blew a final kiss to his mother, father, and sister, and as he glanced across the row, he saw Bad waving goodbye to his family with a cheerful grin.

Once the train pulled away from the station, he let out a long sigh and sat back in the seat, closing his eyes for a moment as he mentally said goodbye to the life he once knew. The slow mornings as he drank coffee and read the paper with his father. His mother making breakfast every morning while feeding Hayley. The hiking trail by his house that he would never follow, instead he would always explore the forest outside the confines of the gravel path. The small river that he had discovered by exploring the forest, that he would visit to read sometimes.

They all seemed small as the train got farther away from his home. Insignificant, as he went to fight in a war that was larger than his capabilities.

As he opened his eyes, he realized Bad was watching him with curiosity. He then realized that he had never told him his name. With a deep breath in, he smiled at the man across the row.

"My name is Dream."


	2. Chapter 2 [My Poor Heart Pains]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In all my dreams, dear, you seem to leave me_   
>  _When I awake my poor heart pains_

Throughout the long train ride, Bad and Dream had quiet conversation amongst the rest of the young men. Dream got to know quite a bit about Bad, since the ride to boot camp was around seven hours long. He learned that Bad had three adopted sisters, one 12, one 15, and one 16, who lived at home with his mother. She was a widow, as Bad's father had died in World War II twenty years ago. Bad wasn't alive then, since he was only 19, but his mother was pregnant with him at the time his father died. His mother had then adopted his three sisters from one of her old friends who had already had two of the three the girls, but then died during the birth of the youngest sister.

Bad's early life was hard, his mother had fallen into a deep depression for the first six years of his life, and she had had anger issues ever since. His mother was amazing, Bad had assured Dream, but his mother struggled with mental health problems all her life, and had to be placed in a psych ward for two months when Bad was 16, leaving only him to care for himself and his sisters. After that, his mother had been in and out of the psych ward, which meant Bad had to basically raise his sisters by himself.

As Dream listened to Bad explain his life's story, he had realized just how lucky he was. Both of his parents were alive, he had a beautiful, healthy baby sister, and his early childhood was filled with cheerful memories of playing on the playground with his old friends and happy experiences. His childhood was almost the complete opposite of Bad's.

When they had arrived at boot camp, they were ushered out of the train almost immediately, the generals not giving the troops any time to prepare themselves or really comprehend anything that was going on. The generals were herding the soldiers out of the train like cattle, and Dream felt slightly claustrophobic as he and his luggage was squished in between two other soldiers that were attempting to get out of the train. He scooted his way through the three train cars at the pace of surely less than a snail, and after what seemed like hours (but was likely only 10 minutes), Dream stepped off the train into the warm, fresh air.

Dream's hazel-green eyes squinted as he took in the new surroundings. He was standing in a desert, along with dark green tents set up near the train. Horses grazed on hay off to the left, as well as soldiers that were being shouted at by a man wearing dark green and a triangular hat. The man had gold pins all up his right arm, as well as small patches of many colours. 

"Soldiers! At attention!" Dream's head jerked forward as he heard the piercing voice of a man nearby. He looked around for whoever called him, and his eyes landed on a large man wearing the same outfit as the other general. He had long, dirty pink hair, worn in a braid that was hanging at his front side. He had a large face, and sharp brown eyes that were so intimidating Dream had to fight to not look away in fear. Dream noticed that the men around him were now standing in an orderly line a few steps in front of him, hands behind their back and heads held up as they watched the general for their instructions. A few other soldiers looked confused, but quickly followed the majority and stood in the line. Dream followed the crowd, and as quick as he could without looking like an idiot, jogged over to the end of the line and stood at attention. To his surprise, he was standing right next to the man from earlier, the lonely one at the train station. Dream tried to catch his eye and smile at him, but the man kept his eyes straight forward, almost as if it were practiced.

Dream watched as the general paced along the line, staring at the troops that he was to train, judging them. 

"Each of you are here for one reason, and that is to defend your country. I applaud each of you for your bravery and courage," The general said, pausing his pacing for a moment, before staring at the group with a stare that could easily vaporize even the toughest of creatures.

"But it's not going to be easy."

The general continued pacing. "These next five weeks will be the worst weeks of your life. Each of you will be pushed to the very limit, to the point where your hands are bruised to bleeding, your legs feel as though they will give out, your brain so tired that not even sleep can help you."

If this was what the general thought was a good introduction to the army, he would definitely have to work on it. Dream's heart pounded in his chest in anxiety at the words the general spoke.

“Each of you will be reporting to me,” The general continued, “If you have questions, you would ask me. Just don’t make them stupid.”

Suddenly, within the silence, Dream heard the man beside him chuckle quietly. It was loud enough so that if the general was paying attention, he would hear it. Dream prayed to god that the general did not hear it.

But alas, he did.

The general whipped his head around, eyes holding a vicious glare that would make any man shrink in on himself. His piercing brown eyes looked down the line, looking for whoever dared make a noise in his presence, before landing on the man beside him. Dream froze, as did the other man.

“What is your name, soldier?” The general asked in a menacing tone as he approached the man who had disrupted the silence.

“S-Sapnap, sir,” The man replied quietly, timidly. 

"Louder!" The general shouted, making Dream jump slightly.

"Sapnap, sir!" His voice shook slightly as he raised his voice louder.

“Is this funny to you, Sapnap?” The general asked as he stood in front Sapnap, arms crossed. Dream looked at him, who looked small and fearful as the general shouted.

Sapnap stayed silent, eyes wide. Anyone with a brain could tell he was trying his hardest to contain his nerves, for he was staring down a man who could kill him without a second thought. After a few seconds of silence, the general huffed and spoke again, this time louder.

“Speak, soldier! Is this funny to you?” He growled.

“N-no sir! No this is not funny to me,” Sapnap stuttered out his response.

“Good. Because out here, nothing is funny,” The general spat venomously. He turned to address the whole line.

“Out here, you can’t afford to make a single mistake," He spoke, "Out here, you will get beaten down to your very lowest by us, because you will be beaten even lower by the enemy. Out here, you can't let yourself make friends because each and every last one of them, you will likely watch die to the gunfire that our foes bestow upon us. The second you wrote your name on the enlistment ballot, you gave up your life for the cause. Every day is a battle between life and death, and if you think that is funny, then step forward now and show yourself, and your psychotic views.”

No man in the line dared to take a step forward. 

The general looked back to Sapnap, who he had scared nearly half to death. “Do you understand me, soldier?” 

“Y-Yes sir, I understand you.”

“Good,” The general said with a nod of approval. He stepped away from Sapnap, continuing his pacing in front of the line. He stopped, and turned to face the line. 

“Everyone, follow me. I am going to show you to your sleepin' quarters.”

Everyone scrambled to grab their luggage and follow the general as he didn’t wait for them before walking away. The line tried to make themselves as orderly as possible to avoid scolding from the general, and to avoid ending up like poor Sapnap. Dream hurried into the line, finding himself ending up right by Sapnap again. 

As the young men followed the general, Dream lifted his hand to tap Sapnap's broad shoulder, but he hesitated. He didn’t wanna pry, and possibly be heard by the general, but he wanted to know if Sapnap was alright. Dream's shoes crunched quietly against the sand as he walked, keeping an eye on both Sapnap and the general who was leading them in the front.

Going against his better judgement, Dream’s pointer finger tapped twice against Sapnap's shoulder. Sapnap's head snapped up, startled as his head looked behind him. 

“Oh, my apologies, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Dream said with a small, warm smile.

“It’s fine, no worries, man," Sapnap replied, returning the small smile. He sounded slightly stand-offish, as if he didn't want to have any sort of conversation for fear of getting in trouble again. Dream's eyes were locked on the back of Sapnap's head of black hair as they walked by cactus green tents and into what seemed to be a training area. Ahead of him he could see more tents, which were white, and longer and taller than the ones beside him now. He assumed the tents that were closer to the train station were for the generals. 

“Um, I just wanted to know if you were okay? The general really scared you back there, didn’t he?" 

Sapnap chuckled again, so quiet it was almost inaudible. "Yeah, he did. The man's pretty scary."

Dream was about to respond, when he heard the the general speak sharply.

“Stop moving,” He barked to the line. 

All forty young men all stopped unanimously. Dream was confused, as they were in the middle of the training area, and not the sleeping quarters. There were three other groups of soldiers who were doing training exercises nearby. One group were working on their climbing abilities, climbing up a large wooden wall with only small ledges poking out to aid them. Another group were sparring, two men standing in the middle of a circle of their fellow soldiers, trading punches and kicks. The third group was being yelled at by a tall general as they did push-ups, sit-ups, and crunches. The general had dark brown, curly hair, and a British accent. Suddenly, Dream heard a shout from closer to him.

 _Much_ closer.

"I'm speaking to you, soldier! Are you deaf?" Dream was quickly brought back to reality as he realized, to his horror, that the general was standing right in front of him. Like Sapnap, in that moment, all of his abilities to speak clearly failed him. The general's face was twisted in menace, and scars from previous battles littered his face. The general was massive compared to Dream's scrawny figure. 

"N-no sir, I am not deaf, sir," Dream spoke, heart beating heavily in his chest. He was panicked, shakily breathing as he stood face to face with his superior.

"Then what did I say?" The general's voice was low, quiet, with a snarl.

Dream hesitated, mouth open as he tried to think of a response, but nothing coherent came to mind. The general's eyes narrowed, piercing into Dream's soul. 

"I said, what is your name?" The harshness to his slow words chilled Dream to the bone.

Despite his fear, he managed to respond in intelligibly. 

"Dream, sir."

"Dream," The general said, taking a single step forward, enough so that he was uncomfortably close. In the corner of Dream's eye, he saw Sapnap's sharp eyes watching him.

"Do you know why you're here?" 

Dream hesitated, "U-um, to fight in a war..?" He said in a quiet tone, eyebrows slightly furrowed tensely.

"Yes, to fight in a war!" The general's voice suddenly raised a bar as he shouted in Dream's face, making him jump.

"War is harsh, Dream, harsher than anything you've ever experienced or will experience. So if a little bit of yellin' is enough to break you, I promise you, you will not make it out of this war alive."

Dream flinched slightly at the sudden volume change and he looked away, unable to keep eye contact anymore as anxiety got the best of him. The pink-haired man stood so closely, he could feel the warmth of his body radiating from him, as well as the minty smell of the general's breath as he spoke. The general scoffed and took a single, terrifying step closer to Dream's face with a threatening smirk.

"You're a little coward, aren't you? Well I'll tell you what, I'm not havin' any cowards under my command," The general growled, "Tonight, when everyone else gets to sleep peacefully on their first day here, you're going to be doin' push ups. All night. And to make sure you're doin' them, Sapnap over here is gonna watch you. Both of you need to learn a little respect." 

His face fell and he looked down at the sandy ground in shame at the degrading words, and in the corner of his eye, Dream saw a surge of frustration light in Sapnap's eyes as he watched the general, but he stayed in line and forced himself to remain calm. The general stepped away from Dream's personal space, to Dream's relief, and looked at Sapnap with a sly smile.

"That won't be a problem, will it, Sapnap?"

Sapnap took in a deep breath, holding tense eye contact with the general as he responded firmly, "No, sir, that will not be a problem."

Finally seeming pleased, the general turned away. "Good. As for the rest of you, I hope you take these two as an example for what happens to cowards." He spat the last word with a harsh sting, which made Dream flinch slightly and duck his head in shame. He had only been at the camp for an hour, at most, and he had already royally screwed up.

That's just how things are out here, he supposed.


	3. Chapter 3 [I'll Take All The Blame]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _So when you come back and make me happy_   
>  _I'll forgive you dear, I'll take all the blame_

The night was cold, despite being in the desert. Crickets chirped harmoniously, playing a gentle symphony in the deep depths of the darkness, in the crevices they hid in. The moon shined brightly with a silver glow and stars littered the dark sky like white glitter, shimmering and sparkling. The sandy ground crunched quietly beneath Dream's shoes as him and George made their way away from the sleeping quarters.

"We're almost there," Sapnap said quietly as they walked to the training grounds across the camp.

"I really am sorry, Sapnap," Dream looked at him apologetically, "I didn't mean to get you in trouble too, I just wanted to know if you were okay."

Dream was following Sapnap from a few feet behind him, eyes locked on the back of his head. He truly felt bad for getting Sapnap in trouble, and he had apologized multiple times after the incident earlier in that day. Sapnap had, of course, forgiven him, but Dream felt they were insincere. He would hate to have made an enemy on the first day of boot camp. As his father had said the day before he left, if he made enemies on his side, it would lead to infighting and infighting never led to anything good.

This time, Sapnap didn't respond to Dream as they reached the training grounds. It was silent, deserted, unlike earlier in the day when there were multiple groups all training. Ahead of the training grounds were miles and miles of dull cacti, rocks, and shrubs. Both Dream and Sapnap stopped when they got to the middle of the training grounds, and Sapnap turned around to face a sheepish Dream. They stood there quietly, neither of the two wanting to speak up in the lightly tense silence. Dream took this time to look up to the sky, admiring the bright stars with a small smile in an attempt to alleviate the tension from himself, and perhaps alleviate it from Sapnap as well as Sapnap's eyes followed Dream's.

The milky way was clear in the desert sky, unlike the polluted sky back at home. Back at home, the sky wasn't nearly as blue as it was now. He didn't even know the night sky was supposed to be blue, he thought it was just, always black. The lines of stars of the milky way were beautiful, mixing with the blues of the sky and the silver of the moon that rose high above the two. Dream remembered when he used to stargaze with his old friends from grade school. His parents never let him leave the house after 9 pm, so he and his friends would sneak out with just their flashlights and a blanket to aid them. Sometimes they wouldn't even bring jackets.

They had had a special spot near the school that they would stargaze at, because it was on top of a small grassy hill and gave them a perfect view. But that view was nothing compared to the one he was experiencing now. If only his parents could see it, his mother loved stargazing. 

"You should probably start your push-ups." Dream was broken out of his daydreaming by Sapnap hushed voice. He looked from the sky back to Sapnap, who was watching Dream with a reserved expression.

Instead of beginning his task, though, he stared at Sapnap for longer than probably socially acceptable. Sapnap, uncomfortable, broke eye contact and looked down, beginning to fidget with the small white bracelet around his wrist. Dream noticed how his eyes seemed to glow a honey brown in the moonlight, like the honey his mother used to put on his toast every day before school. Only a small spoonful, though, since it would "give him cavities".

Sapnap's hair was black, at a medium length. It was straight, but it looked so incredibly soft. His light brown khaki pants were wrinkled and disorderly, as was his white shirt. Dream looked down to Sapnap's hands, which fidgeted nervously with the bracelet.

"Who's the bracelet from?" Dream asked curiously, not thinking through his words before speaking.

Sapnap quickly stopped fidgeting with the bracelet and looked back up to meet Dream's eyes. 

"That's pretty intrusive, you know."

As Dream realized that was, in fact, a very intrusive question, Dream held his hands up and gave him a small apologetic smile. "Sorry, sorry. I didn't realize it was intrusive."

Sapnap chewed on the inside of his cheek, a small, nervous habit, and looked back down at the rough, sandy ground. They stood in awkward silence once more, but this time it was less tense and much more awkward. Dream looked down as well, kicking a small rock that was minding its own business but was unlucky enough to be right by his shoe at the moment. The silence stretched from seconds to minutes, and every now and then Dream would glance up to see Sapnap still staring at the ground, but fidgeting with his bracelet again. Suddenly, Sapnap spoke.

"Uh," Sapnap began, catching Dream's attention, "It was a, uh, it was a gift from my mom. Before she died."

Sapnap looked up at Dream to see his reaction, before quickly dropping his head again. Dream stared at Sapnap sympathetically, and was about to respond, but Sapnap cut him off.

"Please don't give me any of that "I'm sorry your mom died" shit by the way, I'm kinda over sympathy." His voice was quiet as he toyed with the white string bracelet, woven carefully and neatly with thread that surely used to be much whiter than it was right now. Sapnap looked back up and Dream gave him a small nod with a smile. 

"It's a pretty bracelet. Minimalist, I like it."

Sapnap then smiled softly. "Yeah, she loved the colour white. She said it resembles purity or some shit."

Dream chuckled. "She seemed like quite the optimist." 

Sapnap sat down criss-cross on the rough ground beneath them, and Dream followed. "She was," Sapnap said, "She always used to tell me, 'Sap, one day you'll do great things. It's up to you to decide what those great things are'. That's why I'm here. I'm trying to do great things."

Dream watching Sapnap monologue, the dim light of the moon illuminating his face as he spoke. He continuously fidgeted with his bracelet, watching his fingers move it around his wrist. His posture was terrible, bent over and hunched in his place, but Dream didn't point out his lack of a good sitting position.

"That's really admirable," Dream replied, picking up a rock next to where he sat and toying with it in his hands.

"Yeah, I guess it is," He smiled, "Anyway, what brings you here? You've gotta have some sort of story," Sapnap prompted, looking away from the bracelet to meet Dream's hazel-green eyes.

Dream gently tossed the rock away from him, watching as it bounced once, twice, before landing to a halt a couple feet away. Dream leaned back, lying on the sand and propping his head up with his hands behind his head. Sapnap watched him curiously as he lied down in the not-so-comfortable sand. There were rocks all under Dream's back, and he could feel a particularly sharp stone poking at his lower back, but he didn't bother to move as he stared up at the sparkling sky.

"I don't really have a story," Dream's eyes glimmered in the moonlight, and in his peripheral vision, he could see Sapnap still sitting criss-cross as he looked down at him.

"Oh come on now, everyone has a story. No matter how bland, it's still a story."

Dream furrowed his eyebrows and shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position. "Hmm, I guess you're right," He said. He thought about his mother and father at home, and his baby sister who he would sometimes sing to sleep when his mother was too tired. Dream smiled sadly as he felt a wave of homesickness wash over him, pulling at his heart, tugging at the pit of his stomach.

Sapnap finally joined Dream in lying in the sand, looking up to the sky. "So what's your story?" He repeated quietly as he got comfortable beside Dream.

Dream stared thoughtfully for a moment. "Well, I have a pretty nice family. Both of my parents are still alive, and I have one sister named Hayley."

"Hayley?"

"Yeah," Dream replied, "She's really young, only six months old. I've been an only child up until then. To be quite honest, I didn't know my mother could still conceive at her age. I suppose I was wrong." He chuckled quietly.

"What are your parents like?" Sapnap's eyes were locked on the sky, and his eyes had a sense of childlike awe to them as he stared that Dream hadn't seen in a long time. Dream wondered what the skies were like back at his home. Dream wondered where his home truly was.

"They're sweet. My mother works a lot, because she always wanted my and Hayley to be comfortable. She's a midwife, works with lots of kids. That's one way she was able to raise me so well," Dream said, thinking back to his mother who was probably back at home, rocking Hayley to sleep right now.

"My father is pretty strict, but it's because he cares. He's sometimes really nice, though. I remember once my mom caught me trying to sneak out to stargaze with my friends, and he grounded me for a week."

Sapnap turned his head from where he lied to look at Dream and frowned. "That sucks, I used to hate being grounded as a kid."

"Yeah, but after my mom seemed satisfied and left the room, he told me I could continue going stargazing but only if I brought a pocket knife for safety." Dream smiled fondly at the memory. That night, his father had given him his favourite pocket knife. It was simplistic, five inches long with a dirty yellow handle. His father had said it was his father's blade before him, and his father's father's after that. And now it was his, to love and cherish until he one day gave it to his future son. The knife had only been used for protection once, and that was when his father and mother got robbed. 

His mother had been pregnant with him at the time, and their house had been broken into in the late hours of the night. It was one man, as Dream's father had relayed the story. Dream's father used it to protect his mother, and, in turn, himself. Dream cherished the pocket knife, and always kept it with him when he left home at night. The knife was snugly tucked away in his luggage in the sleeping quarters. He was sure he had broken some sort of rule by bringing it onto the train and to the boot camp, but he paid no mind to them.

"Your family seems really nice," Sapnap said as he shifted in his place a foot or so away from Dream. He raised his arms up to his head, and, similar to Dream, propped his hands underneath his head for neck support.

Dream gave a small, almost unnoticeable nod. "What's your family like?" He asked.

Sapnap's breath caught in his throat, and Dream noticed that Sapnap's body stiffened. Looking at the man lying beside him, Sapnap's eyebrows furrowed in discomfort. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't wanna tell me," Dream quickly added in an attempt to save the conversation. Sapnap seemed to relax a little.

"It's fine, I just never really had a family. Or at least, not one that loved me," Sapnap muttered quietly. Dream watched as Sapnap removed his hands from behind his head and sat up, back into the criss-cross position as he began to fidget with his bracelet again. Dream followed, sitting up with him, and he looked at Sapnap sympathetically. But, as soon as he remembered Sapnap didn't like sympathy, he wiped the look off his face.

"What about your mom?" Dream questioned quietly. Their voices were hushed in the night, mixing melodically with the gentle breeze and occasional sound of crickets chirping.

A tender, fond smile appeared on Sapnap's face as he thought of his mom. He paused his fidgeting for a few moments.

"She was the only person who actually wanted me. She loved me like I was her world, and I was to her," Sapnap recounted amiably, "Every time I was noticeably upset, she would play the piano. Usually Wilhelm Kempff, but sometimes she would play a bit of the classics, like Mozart and Beethoven. She was an incredible pianist." 

The font recount brought a smile to Dream's face. The amount of pure love in Sapnap's voice as he spoke of his mother was enough to make Dream incredibly homesick for his own. "Did she play piano often?"

"Yes, but it was mainly her practicing. When I was a baby, she said she would sit me on her lap as she played, and no matter how much of a tantrum I was throwing, I would calm down almost immediately. Her music always seemed to have that effect on me," Sapnap said, craning his neck to look up at the stars.

"She used to always say that when people died, a new star was placed in the sky that represented their soul. I think it's complete bullshit," Sapnap chuckled, "But it's nice to think she's one of the stars that's watching me now." 

He stared at the stars, smile now sad as his eyes traced the gleaming stars that lit up the sky. Dream knew each white speck in the sky were actually celestial bodies made of mostly hydrogen and helium, but it was a nice metaphor. If each star in the sky was the soul of someone who had died, there had to be billions, even trillions of stars out there. He wondered, if the theory was true, which star he would be when he died. Would he be visible from their small planet of Earth? Or would he be billions of miles away? Would his family know which star he was, if he was visible from Earth? There was truly no way to know for sure, at least, until Dream died and learned for himself. But he didn't plan to die for many, many years. Not if he could help it.

"Your mom seemed to be a really nice person. Like someone trustworthy," Dream spoke as he stared up at the vast expanse of the universe. 

He heard Sapnap let out a quiet, shaky breath. He looked over to him to see the small, almost invisible white puff of his breath that blew out into the cold air. 

"Yeah, she was." 

They dipped into a comfortable silence as they stargazed, and Dream thought about the friends he used to stargaze with. Punz, Callahan, and Alyssa were their names. Over the years, they had slowly stopped hanging out because life began to move too fast for them to find time to spend with each other. Punz was a passionate young soul, who felt more than most of the people Dream knew. He was outspoken, and lit up any room he entered. Punz was the one who would protect Alyssa from the bullies at their middle school. Nobody messed with Punz.

Callahan was quiet, but his silence was the loudest silence Dream had ever heard. The few times Callahan actually spoke up were always meaningful. Dream could almost hear Callahan's quiet laugh as Punz would make a funny quip. Dream remembered once that he had gotten into a heated argument with someone at school, he couldn't remember what it was about, and the person had pushed him in a sudden burst of anger. When Dream roughly landed on his back, Callahan had stepped in and, in the most terrifyingly calm voice Dream had ever heard, said, "If you lay a single finger on him again, you will severely regret it."

That was probably the most words he had ever heard Callahan speak. But they were incredibly effective, especially to the person who had pushed him. The person's eyes got all wide and they had immediately apologized, and left. When Dream thanked Callahan, he just smiled and nodded silently. Dream smiled at the memory.

Alyssa was kind, but if anyone messed with her friends it would get ugly. She was protective of especially Callahan, since he sometimes would get bullied for his usual silence. Her and Punz got along great, unlike Punz and Dream's playful rivalry. She was like the parent of the group, making sure everyone had coats and flashlights whenever they went stargazing, making sure the group didn't get into any bad trouble. 

"What are you smiling about?" Dream was ripped out of his thoughts by Sapnap's quiet voice.

"My old friends. I haven't seen them in years, though," Dream replied, lying back down from his sitting position. Sapnap followed him.

"I thought I had friends back at home, but apparently that's not true." The moon shined brightly in the sky, almost at the halfway point.

"I'll be your friend," Dream offered. Sapnap looked at Dream with a slightly tilted head and a curious look.

"We both don't have any friends," He continued, "So I'll be your friend. Kill two birds with one stone." 

Sapnap furrowed his eyebrows as he thought. Dream was worried that he was overstepping some sort of invisible boundary which hadn't been set yet. What if Sapnap didn't have friends on purpose? What if he wasn't ready for friends? What if, what if, what if.

Dream watched for ten or so seconds, until Sapnap smiled softly.

"Yeah, okay," He agreed, and Dream's eyes widened in surprise. 

"Let's be friends."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i can't believe i actually used the "i don't really have a story" line i'm cringing so hard i hate that line so much


End file.
